Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing The Man Who Built the Apple Store Never Tried to Sell You Anything
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Sep 27, 2026 
Ron Johnson, the retail visionary who created Apple’s stores with Steve Jobs, reflects on his path from Target to Apple and JCPenney. He explores why Apple needed physical stores, how service became central to the experience, and what Steve Jobs demanded from innovation. Johnson also discusses John Ternus’s leadership challenge and the hard lessons of his JCPenney misstep.
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Why Ron Johnson Bet On Apple Stores
- Ron Johnson joined Apple when it had 5% market share and traded barely above cash value.
- Steve Jobs believed stores were the missing link between Apple’s products and customers.
Apple Turned Love Into A Retail Strategy
- Treating customers with love means securing their good through ease of use, welcome, help, and farewell.
- Apple chose service over selling, building relationships instead of pushing transactions.
Steve Jobs Taught Ron To Think Bigger
- At Target, Ron Johnson’s design launch expanded to 140 Michael Graves products instead of a cautious three-item test.
- Apple amplified his ambition because Steve Jobs consistently thought one step beyond his biggest ideas.
